Steering apparatus for vessels



mom dlyf I v J.v H. SNBLLINLL, STEERING APPARATUS FOR NESSELS.

No. 382,838. Pat'ented'May'15J888 ATTORNEYS. f"

JNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. SNELLING, OF PERU, NEW JERSEY.

STEERINGAPPVARATIUS FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,838, dated May 15,1888.

Applicationlfiled Marci 112, 1886. Serial No. 195,055. (No model) To aZZwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. SNELLING, of Peru, in the county offPassaicand State'of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvem ent inSteering Apparatus for Vessels, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification,

in which similar letters of reference indicate.

corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 1s a sectional side elevation of my improved steeringapparatus. Fig. 2 isa front elevation of the same, partly in section andparts being broken away. Fig, 3 is a front elevation of the flanged endof the drum, and showing in dotted lines a modification.

My invention is an improvement in the class of steering apparatusinwhich the tiller-chains (or ropes) are wound upon a drum, carrying onits vertical face one or more loose gears, which mesh with a fixedinternally-toothed rim, and also with a central gear fixed on'androtating with the shaft of the steeringwheel,

whereby said loose gears travel with the drum and between the said fixedrim and rotating gear. In constructing this kind of apparatusheretofore,'the fixed and internally-toothed rim or band has been madeseparate from the which protects the gearing, as hereinafter described.d

A represents the hand-Wheel, which is keyed or otherwise secured to theforward end of the shaft B. The rear end of the shaft B revolves in abearing attached to a frame, 0, or other suitable support. Upon theshaft B is placed a drum, D, whichis made smoothwhen a rope is to beused, and is made in the form of a chain-wheel when a chain is to beused, and

from which a rope or chain is led to the rud- I der in the ordinarymanner.

'Upon'the forward end of the drum D is formed a fiange,E, the outer edgeof which is rabbeted to receive the flanged rear edge of 5 theinternally toothed. gear-band F. The lower edge of theinternally-toothedgear-band F is provided with lugs or brackets toreceive the bolts that secure it to the frame or support G. To theflange E are attached three (more or less) studs, H, upon which revolvesmall gear-wheels I.- The teeth of the gearwheels I mesh into the teethof the gear-band F and'into the teeth of the small gear-wheel J, keyedor otherwise secured to the shaft B. The gearing is covered andprotected by a cap plate,K, bolted to the stationary internally toothedgear-band F, and through the center of which the shaftB passes. It willbe seen that the band F thus serves as a standard for supporting thebearing K ofthe wheelshaft, and by such double function the apparatusisrendered lighter, cheaper, and less bulky than those in which thestandard is Inade'separate from the band. With this con- 7 5'structi'on', when the shaft B is turned by operating the hand-wheel A,the gear-wheel J, at-

tached to the said shaft, turns the gear-wheels I, which mesh into theteeth of the internallytoothed stationary gear-band F as a fulcrum, andare thus caused to rotate the flanged drum D and operate the rudder withan increased leverage, depending upon the relative diamea ters of thegear-wheels, and at the same time the apparatus will be kept within aconvenient space.

In case the steering apparatus should be disabled by the breaking of thegearing, the

cap-plate K can be detached and the gearwheels I replaced by a segment,L,of an in- 0 driven parts gives a very compact construction and permitsthe use of parts of the machine as a containing case or box.

The drum, although geared to the shaft and 5 revolving upon it, is in aposition favorable to be fastened to the said shaft should any of theteeth break.

The intermediate gearwheels are shown as single pinions; but obviouslythey may be to compound wheelsthat is to say,double wheels of twodifl'erent diameters, the larger meshing into the toothed band and thesmaller into the driving-pinion, or vice versa, to produce differentproportions of leverage without alter- 15 ing the size of the gear-band.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 7 V Inasteering apparatus, the combination of the combined standard andinternally-toothed rim F with the wheel-shaft and its gear J, the 20drum and its gears I, mounted loose on studs fixed in the flange of saiddrum, the cap-plate K, in which the shaft has its front bearing, andbolts for securing said plate to the standard, as shown and described.

JOHN H. SN ELLIN G.

Witnesses:

FRED H. PELL,

G. P. MOORE.

